Thrissur – In a bold move to tackle worsening traffic snarls, the Thrissur District Collector has ordered the immediate suspension of toll collection at Paliekkara toll plaza on National Highway 544. The decision, effective until traffic flow is normalized, comes after repeated failures by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ease gridlock caused by ongoing construction.
The Chirangara underpass construction site has emerged as a major bottleneck, and the Collector has directed the NHAI to take urgent action with police support to resolve the crisis. The Thrissur Rural SP has been assigned to ensure enforcement of the suspension order.
The Collector’s directive follows multiple rounds of meetings with NHAI officials dating back to February, which failed to yield tangible results. A joint inspection by Chalakudy DySP, RTO, and Tahsildar exposed glaring safety lapses: no flagmen, missing barricades, inadequate lighting, unfinished road widening, and lack of proper signage and drainage systems.
Adding to the chaos, unrelocated electric poles, slow-moving construction, and absence of crane facilities were reported. Heavy rainfall recently flooded Koratti Junction, worsening an already grim situation.
The Collector slammed the “unscientific and unplanned” construction approach, citing that even emergency vehicles en route to hospitals and airports are being trapped in hours-long traffic jams. The toll suspension will remain in place until NHAI restores order and public safety on the highway.
